WD talks with the actress about holiday plans and being a new mom

You can't help but smile when you see Alyson Hannigan's face on screen. The actress, who made a name for herself with teens during the six-year run of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has been making audiences laugh since 2005 as Lily on How I Met Your Mother. A new mother herself, Hannigan took a few minutes from her hectic life to speak with WD about parenthood, her new gig as a spokesperson for MasterCard's Priceless Gift Finder, what she's doing this holiday season and what's up with the teen vampire craze.

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In the MasterCard Priceless Gift Finder, you give some funny "not-so-perfect" gift recommendations. What's the worst gift you've ever received?
Years ago, someone gave me bottles of massage oil that had obviously been used. Re-gifting is always bad, but this was the worst. They say it's the thought that counts, but I'm not sure what the thought was there.

What's your holiday shopping preference: online or in-store?
This year I'm definitely doing most of my shopping online—it's just easier that way. Which is why the Gift Finder is so great; it helps you pick out gifts for everyone.

What are three things on your wish list this year?
I feel so blessed, especially this year. There's nothing that I have to have other than to spend time with my family. I really can't think of anything I'd ask for other than maybe a sewing machine.

Do you do a lot of holiday things, crafts, decorating and cooking?
I do, I love decorating for the holidays, but my husband is the cook in the family, so I let him do all the cooking.

This is your daughter's first holiday. How are you celebrating?
We're having our families over to our house—we're using the baby card this year so we don't have to travel.

Your daughter was born at home in March; why did you choose a home birth?
I've never liked hospitals, and when I found out I was pregnant I started considering home birth, and decided I wanted to go that route after watching the Ricki Lake documentary The Business of Being Born. I wanted to be as comfortable as possible when I gave birth, and there's no place I'm more comfortable than my own home. I wanted a comforting and positive environment; in my opinion, hospitals are for sick people.

How are you adjusting to being a new mom? How has it changed your daily routine?
It's changed everything; it's all about her now. I miss her so much all the time.

What's the most surprising thing about being a mom?
How much you can love another person. I've always heard people talk about it, but then when you become a mother, you get what they mean.

When you found out you were pregnant, did the writers on How I Met Your Mother consider making Lily pregnant?
No, I think it would have been too soon for her. And the group spends a lot of time hanging out in the bar, so it wouldn't really have worked.

In How I Met Your Mother, Lily and Marshall are the perfect couple, sometimes to the annoyance of their other friends. Are you and your husband that couple in your group of friends?
Our single friends have told us that they hope to find the kind of love we have someday.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer still has a huge following six years later, and of course Twilight is huge now. What do you think is the appeal of teen vampires?
I'm not really sure. I think with Buffy, a big part of it was that Joss [Whedon, the show's creator] knew how to capture adolescence so well. I've never seen Twilight—I'm probably the only person who hasn't—but I guess people are drawn to it for the fantasy and romance. Everyone likes a love story.